Follow the rules or lose access

[idelkslayer]

This is a conversation that I bring up to a lot of hunters and have mentioned on forums before especially as it relates to ATV usage. Timber companies in northern Idaho have a long history of allowing public access for hunting, fishing, and foraging at no cost to the public. In much of northern Idaho that changed in 2019. At that time, several companies voiced concern to IDFG that they would no longer allow public access due to road/gate damage, vandalism, trash, illegal firewood cutting, and other bad behaviors. Since then IDFG has paid a lease fee to those companies to keep the lands open to the public. The same is true of State land (Endowment lands) the public no longer has free access to those lands; IDFG is paying a lease fee for us. Nearly all of these lands are closed to motorized use, target shooting, camping, and fires. They are open to foot travel, cycling, and day use.

Timber companies and F&G agree to leases for public access to private timber lands

idfg.idaho.gov

Every year I flag down a handful of hunters who are violating the access rules (mostly ATV violations behind closed gates) for those lands and ask them to abide the restrictions so that we continue to have access. I am most often told to F-off. Timber Company and State Lands account for a lot of good hunting ground and provide thru-access to national forest lands.

The location in the article below isn't an area that I frequent but it shows how we could lose access in other places as well. Congratulations morons you did it!

8,600 acres in North Idaho removed from Large Tracts Program by private landowners following repeated unauthorized use and rule violations

Manulife Investment Management recently removed nearly 8,600 acres of land from the Large Tracts Program in Unit 5 near Emida due to persistent violations and damage to property. The acreage has been divided into two parcels that will be leased for exclusive access.

idfg.idaho.gov

Edit: Point of clarification - State Lands are open to camping and camp fires, however, the Timber company lands are not except for some cases where some companies/lands have a system of reservations and allocating camping at specific sites.

 

[Beendare]

Slob hunters killing hunting rights.....I see it every year.

Last year two guys on Motorcycles in a no motorized vehicle area going across country- not even a trail- in Eastern Idaho.

 

[kylem]

Here are the first couple sentences from the link. Hopefully this will be the wake up call many need and people start respecting restrictions before we see more privately owned timber property go this direction.


Manulife Investment Management recently removed nearly 8,600 acres of land from the Large Tracts Program in Unit 5 near Emida due to persistent violations and damage to property. The acreage has been divided into two parcels that will be leased for exclusive access.

 

[RockAndSage]

This is right up there with people shooting on public land, and leaving their targets, brass, and other trash. Guaranteed way to make everyone angry at shooters, except the brass goblins. They're always happy to find brass.

 

[KenLee]

This is a conversation that I bring up to a lot of hunters and have mentioned on forums before especially as it relates to ATV usage. Timber companies in northern Idaho have a long history of allowing public access for hunting, fishing, and foraging at no cost to the public. In much of northern Idaho that changed in 2019. At that time, several companies voiced concern to IDFG that they would no longer allow public access due to road/gate damage, vandalism, trash, illegal firewood cutting, and other bad behaviors. Since then IDFG has paid a lease fee to those companies to keep the lands open to the public. The same is true of State land (Endowment lands) the public no longer has free access to those lands; IDFG is paying a lease fee for us. Nearly all of these lands are closed to motorized use, target shooting, camping, and fires. They are open to foot travel, cycling, and day use.

Timber companies and F&G agree to leases for public access to private timber lands

idfg.idaho.gov

Every year I flag down a handful of hunters who are violating the access rules (mostly ATV violations behind closed gates) for those lands and ask them to abide the restrictions so that we continue to have access. I am most often told to F-off. Timber Company and State Lands account for a lot of good hunting ground and provide thru-access to national forest lands.

The location in the article below isn't an area that I frequent but it shows how we could lose access in other places as well. Congratulations morons you did it!

8,600 acres in North Idaho removed from Large Tracts Program by private landowners following repeated unauthorized use and rule violations

Manulife Investment Management recently removed nearly 8,600 acres of land from the Large Tracts Program in Unit 5 near Emida due to persistent violations and damage to property. The acreage has been divided into two parcels that will be leased for exclusive access.

idfg.idaho.gov

Coming soon: Leaseholders slaying meth heads.

 

[Jpsmith1]

On a similar, smaller scale note. We have, or rather HAD, a popular riding area here.

The local riders have taken to illegally riding the roads all hours, acting fools and vandalizing property when no trespassing signs are posted.

Well, they lost it all, now and they have all the.big sads.

I think it's ATV people, but I have a pretty strong bias.

 

[Hunterscamera]

This a shame.but glad you shared, good information to have

 

[7mm-08]

Thank you for sharing this. Sad situation for the responsible and respectful users.

 

[dieselchessy]

On a similar, smaller scale note. We have, or rather HAD, a popular riding area here.

The local riders have taken to illegally riding the roads all hours, acting fools and vandalizing property when no trespassing signs are posted.

Well, they lost it all, now and they have all the.big sads.

I think it's ATV people, but I have a pretty strong bias.

From what I see ATV users is right, but I think allot of them call themselves hunters. We hunt just north of there and just about every hour of every day during the season you can find someone in a side by side or 4-wheeler going around gates, tearing things up, littering, you name it.
When they instituted the travel restriction maps you couldn't even tell. Folks on ATV’s still drive everywhere they can, and make trails around the gate or obstacle if needed.

 

[Wagondriver]

I used to live in Colorado, the Lake Christine SWA near Basalt allowed mountain bikes on the wildlife area. But, mountain bikers decided they needed to make some trails of their own, they were told that wasn't allowed. Stay on designated routes, but they refused to comply. You know, sticking it to the Man!

Well, DOW as it was called at the time, said no problem. You can't ride here at all now. Oh, boy that got the bikers riled up, but as much of a fit as they pitched, it didn't matter. DOW had one purpose, manage lands for wildlife.

FAFO

 

[survivalistd]

I thought this was about those who think swarovski is the best...

 

[DB29]

I hunt non motorized areas almost exclusively in these areas. I see atvs and utvs in the non-motorized areas almost everyday I am out.

 

[Customweld]

We truly are our own worst enemy. That’s exactly why we can’t have nice things.

 

[N.ID7803]

Large tracts access will be a thing of the past now that this has happened. I work for one of the companies that are enrolled in this program(large tracts). If they see that this works, they will go that route as well. Sad to see but it was only a matter of time. It’s already been talked about.

 

[Choupique]

see atvs and utvs in the non-motorized areas almost everyday I am out.

Nothing quite like hiking your butt off to get somewhere away from the ATVers before daylight, settling in, and then having some big fat dude on a bike come ripping by 30 minutes after daylight.

It should be legal to shoot their ATV engine.

 

[RockAndSage]

Some of the recreational SxS/ATV crowd remind me of redneck versions of the a-hole bicycle riders, with their sense of impunity, entitlement, and the rules not applying to them. They really need to reign it in.

 

[DB29]

Nothing quite like hiking your butt off to get somewhere away from the ATVers before daylight, settling in, and then having some big fat dude on a bike come ripping by 30 minutes after daylight.

It should be legal to shoot their ATV engine.

Does anyone know of a set of lightweight packable stop sticks? Hear one coming in the dark as you hike in… cut your headlamp and jump off trail… deploy stop sticks and let them ride by…

(TM, Patent Pending)

 

[Customweld]

I used to do a lot of work on the former Boise Cascade (now Wilkes) property. People in all forms were pretty disrespectful. Summer campers were some of the worst. This was before the avalanche of side by sides, a few people had 4 wheelers.

 

[grainhog]

Illegal, entitled, destructive ohv activity by morons is ruining hunting in the west.

I don't condone illegal activities. Just stating the fact that batteries come off of ebikes and spark plugs pull out of gas engines and they are probably hard to find if they get thrown down the mountain.

 

[mitchamafied]

I’m sure people not following the rules is a factor… but I’m pretty sure the primary reason is money. Manulife just pulled out of Oregon’s similar program. And I think the underlying reason is that it’s more profitable and less troublesome to go to leases.